New rivals greet the iPad Air

By Doug Gross, CNN

Updated 1145 GMT (1845 HKT) October 23, 2013

Gallery: Hottest tablets8 photos

The hottest and best-known tablets – While the iPad still leads the way, the tablet-computer market has become a more diverse and competitive one in the past year or so. Users looking to upgrade from their smartphone screen, or get simpler than a laptop, have options that include Apple's offering, as well as new designs from Samsung, Google, Microsoft, Nokia, Asus and others.

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iPad Air – The latest version of Apple's industry-leading tablet (they've sold 170 million) went on a serious weight-loss routine. It weighs in at only one pound, down from 1.4, and is 20% slimmer than its predecessor. It starts at $499. On Tuesday Apple also rolled out a new iPad Mini with a high-resolution (or "retina display" in Apple-speak) screen.

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Nokia Lumia 2520 – Nokia's first full-size tablet, the Lumia 2520, has a 10-inch display screen and runs a version of the Windows 8 operating system. It sells for $499, with 4G LTE and a 6.7-megapixel back-facing camera.

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Microsoft Surface 2 – The second generation of Microsoft's tablet-laptop hybrid, the Surface 2, was rolled out for sale October 22. Starting at $449 for a 32GB model, the Surface got thinner and more powerful and added a high-definition screen. (It also got rid of the confusing "RT" at the end of its name). The souped-up Surface Pro 2 starts at $899.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 – Emerging as Apple's chief mobile rival, Samsung rolled out the third generation of its Galaxy Tabs earlier this year. The 10.1-inch version of the Galaxy Tab 3 starts at $359 and is the top-selling full-size tablet running Google's Android operating system.

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Kindle Fire HD – There's a lot more competition now, but Amazon's Kindle Fire was the first tablet to dent iPad's dominance with its smaller size and lower price tag. The new 7-inch Kindle Fire HD costs $199, while a bigger, 8.9-inch Fire HD sells for $299.

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Google Nexus 7 – Google wasn't the first company to make a tablet smaller than the iPad. But many reviewers think they've made the best mini model. The Nexus 7 is a relatively powerful device running Google's Android operating system and starts at an affordable $199.

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Asus Transformer Infinity – They don't have broad name recognition, but Asus has quietly become the third-leading tablet seller (at least in the first few months of 2013). Asus has impressed critics with its Transformer tabs, which have filled the hybrid tablet/laptop slot more successfully than Microsoft's Surface. Its top-of-the-line Transformer Pad Infinity begins around $400.

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Story highlights

iPad Air isn't the only new tablet hitting the market this week

Apple still leads the field, but competitors are chipping away

Microsoft, Nokia both rolled out tablets the same day Apple did

It may have made the biggest splash, with the usual tech-world buzz that arises around any Apple product announcement. But the iPad Air wasn't the only new tablet rolled out on Tuesday.

Both Microsoft and Nokia unveiled entries they hope will compete with Apple, Amazon's Kindle Fires, Google's Nexus tablets and a slew of other tabs running Google's Android operating system.

Nokia's first full-size tablet, the Lumia 2520, has a 10-inch display screen and runs a version of the the Windows 8 operating system. It sells for $499, with 4G LTE and a 6.7-megapixel back-facing camera.

It was introduced Tuesday, the same day Microsoft rolled out its next generation of tablet-laptop hybrids for sale. The Surface 2 starts at $449 for a 32GB model. It's thinner and more powerful than its predecessor and drops the confusing "RT" from the end of its name.

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The souped-up Surface Pro 2 starts at $899 and runs all the way up to a whopping 512GB version (for $1,799) that puts that model closer to the laptop end of the spectrum.

That's just two more names jumping into the tablet fray as the holiday shopping season approaches.

On Tuesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that iPads account for 81% of all the world's tablet usage, suggesting sales and customer satisfaction combine to make it the hands-down leader in the field.

That may well be true. It's certainly hard to argue with the 170 million sales figure Cook announced for all iPads since they were introduced in 2010. But just two years ago, that usage number would have been closer to 100%, meaning the rest of the field has started chipping away at Apple's lead.

Samsung's Galaxy Tabs, in 10-and-7-inch varieties, have made a relatively strong run and Google's Nexus 7 has gotten almost unanimously positive reviews, with some critics declaring it superior to Apple's smaller iPad Mini.

All of which is to say that, when holiday shoppers are looking to shell out cash for a tablet this year, they'll have more options than ever. In the gallery above, we take a closer look at some of the top tablets on the market, as well as some of their newest competitors.